Tongue support for vehicles



(No Model.)

W. W. MAYNE.

TONGUE SUPPORT FOR VEHIGLES.

Patented Aug 6, 1889.

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ArENr 1 IVILLIAM IV. MAYNE, OF HURON, DAKOTA I ERRI'J.ORY.

TONGUE-SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,312, dated August 6, 1889.

Application filed November 24, 1888- Serial No. 291,798. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM IV. MAYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at IInron, in the county of Beadle, Dakota Territory, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Tongue Supports; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the in vention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to carriage-tongue supports; and its object is to provide a light, simple, and inexpensive device that may be readily hung upon some forward portion of the running-gear-such as the spring or the spring-bar-of a carriage or wagon to support the tongue or thills in an elevated position for safety when not in service.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a carriage-tongue support, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure I is a side elevation of certain portions of a carriage,showing my invention supporting a 'carriagetongue. Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the brace-joint. Fig. III shows a modification of my invention.

5 represents the forward spring of a carriage, 6 the axle, and 7 the tongue, provided with a cross portion 8, which curves back- I ward or downward, as here shown, forming a fork whose arms are hinged at their ends to the axle in any usual manner.

9 represents the shank of my tongue-supporter, having a hook 10, adapted to beloosely hung upon any cross-piece of the carriage above the axle.

11 is an arm extending forward from the shank, and provided at its forward end with half of a hinge-joint 12.

13 is the main brace provided with the other half of the hinge-joint 12, and adapted to be rigidly bound by the thumb-screw 15, which serves also as the hinge-pin.

16 is the brace-extension fitted to slide lengthwise in the bore of the brace 13, and 17 is a binding-screw in the latter, whereby the brace-extension may be fastened at any point. The upper end of the extension is provided with a fork 18, adapted to receive the cross portion 8 of the tongue.

19 is a stay-bar hung at one end to the hook 10, and provided with notches in its under side to engage a stud 20, which projects from the side of the main brace 13.

In service the hook 10 is first to be hung upon some cross-piece above the axlesuch as the spring 5and the shank is allowed to rest against the front side of the axle 6. Now the carriage-tongue 7 is to be raised by hand to the height at which it is desired to be supported. The brace 13 is to be swung into line with the cross portion 8, and so fixed by the binding-screw 15. Then the extension 16 is to be drawn out until its fork 18 engages the cross portion 8. Then the tongue may be allowed to rest in the support. If it is desired to rest the tongue directly in the fork 18, the stay-bar 19 is used to keep the brace from slipping on the tongue and from being crowded out. of place thereby. The fork 18, the inside of the book 10, and the back of the shank 9 may be faced with leather or any suitably soft material to prevent defacing the carriage where the support bears thereon. The hook 10 may be made for the largest piece it is ever likely to hang upon, and yet it will hang as'well upon the smallest. Any cross-bar of the carriage above the axle will do as well as the spring 5 as a point of attachment for the hook. The brace 13 may be a mere pipe, or it may be cast with a tube or bore to receive the extension, as shown. Another stay 21 may be permanently fixed to connect the arm 11 with the shank 9 to strengthen the device when it is desired to be very light. For carriages having cross-bars to their thills or tongues corresponding to the portion 8 there is no need of the stay-bar 19, the binding-screw 15 serving to keep the brace at the desired angle to re-engage any carriage on removal after once being fitted thereto.

If the stay-bar 19 is always used with the brace, the binding-screw 15 may be substituted by a common hinge-pin. The stay-bar is curved downward, as shown, in order that its end may not come in contact with the pole, as it might otherwise do with. some poles which require the brace 13 to stand far IOC forward. A chain would be an equivalent to this curved bar, because all that portion beyond the point of attachment would bend and hang down of itself, as shown in Fig. III. I therefore call such abar or chain a curved or flexible support. The arm 11, extending forward of the shank 9, serves as a base for the brace, so that the latter may stand directly to its work, thus permitting it to be made much lighter than if it had to act as 10 and the forward arm 11, having half a 2. The combination of the shank 9, provided with the hook 10 and the arm 11, the brace 13, hinged to the arm 11 and longitudinally bored and provided with a stud 20, the forked extension-brace 16, fitted to the said bore in the brace 13, the binding-screw 17, fitted in the brace 13, and the stay-bar 19, hung at one end to the shank 9 and notched to engage the said stud, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the shank 9, provided with the hook 10 and arm 11, the brace 13, hinged to said arm and provided with a forked adjustable extension 16, and the stay 21, permanently connecting the arm 11 and shank 9, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the shank 9, provided with the hook 10 and arm 11, the brace 13, hinged to the said arm, and a curved or flexible support adapted to connect the brace'13 with the vertical portion of the shank, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM IV. WAYNE.

Witnesses:

ANSON J. RUDsDIL, FRANK F. RANDOLPH. 

